The Red and Blue House of Night
by VampWolf Girl 4Ever
Summary: This is my version on what happend after book two in the House of Night Series The paring is cannon If you havent read House of Night before then i suggest you dont read this as it contains parts or bits from all of the books
1. Chapter 1

The Red and Blue House of Night

By Rachel Elizabeth Siebel

Id like to thank P.C. and Kristin Cast for writing such a good series and hope they don't mind me writing my own story about what happens next.

Chapter one the facts

"Ahh hell, my life is absolutely bull pooppy. Oh hi my name is Zoey Redbird and this is my story. I'm seventeen years old and I'm the only Blue fledgling High Priestess, my best friend Stevie Rae Johnson is the only Red Vampyer High Priestess, and we have just started our own House of Night, The Red and Blue House of Night."

"We decided to make our own House of Night because we needed our own place where Neferet, (the evil high Priestess of the original House of Night) couldn't "listen in" on our thoughts and plans."

"Ever since I was marked by my goddess Nyx, Neferet has been trying to start a war and my group of friends and my circle have been trying to stop her."

"Neferet, Neferet, Neferet, what am I going to do about you?" "Hey Z, what you muttering to yourself about?" "Holly Shit, Stevie Rae, you sacred the living daylights out of me, please don't do that again." "Oh, sorry, it's just that Rephaim left to go have birdie time, I was just board and I was walking back to my room when I heard you muttering about something. What where you muttering to yourself about anyway?" " Well I was muttering about our wonderfully evil High priestess Neferet, the bitch that ruined all of our lives." "Oh well while everybody else is asleep do you want to go upstairs and get our class rooms ready, because we haven't even started cleaning the depot building yet." "Come on then but I think we're going to need to wake the twins, Damien, Aphrodite, Eric, Kramisha, Stark and Darius up." "Ok then how about you call them with wind?" "Kay, hang on, Wind please come to me, can you please go and wake up the twins, Damien, Aphrodite, Eric, Kramisha, Stark and Darius and tell them to meet me and Stevie Rae in the lounge room in five minutes, thanks wind please go and do that know," "Hey Z, we all got the message, give us one minute and we will be there and could you please bring some food and drinks?" "Ok, deal, wind please send my response and then you can leave, thank you."

Aphrodite

Ten minutes later everyone was finished eating and were waiting for me or Stevie Rae to start speaking. "Ok, well after Rephaim flew away I heard Z muttering to herself about Neferet. Then I remembered that our house of night will open next Monday, and that we haven't even started cleaning the depot so we decided that we better start know or we will never get our school open on time, so how about it?" "Hang on, before you say you want to help I have an idea, because Stevie Rae and I are going to be teaching, Blood lust & imprinting, we will be teaching the red and blue fledglings the same class but sepretly I thought that you all could as well. I was thinking that Damien could teach vampyer sociology and Kramisha could teach poetry, Stark and Darius could teach fencing and self-defence, Aphrodite could teach Economics class that represents Jack, and Eric could teach literature, along with his tracker duties, and the best for last the twins could design the school uniform." " What do you guys think?" "Well I think it's a good idea but what are we going to do about Rephaim?" " well I also thought about this and wanted to know what you guys thought so I was thinking that he could go to school three times a week so from Monday –Wednesday and have Thursday- Friday off to catch up on sleep that he losses from being a bird. What do you think?" "Ok, well I like the idea, how about you guys?" "Yep that's ok" everyone agree


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two The clean up

After the meeting everyone went back to bed, we decided that when we got up and had breakfast that we would meet up in the lounge room and go up to the depot together.

When everyone finally got up it was almost 8:30am (pm human time). When everyone had gathered in the lounge room and settled down Stevie Rae started speaking. "Ok you guys we really need to get the depot clean, so Z and I have decided to split everyone into groups, so the first group is Rephaim, Kramisha, and myself and we will be cleaning the gym, group two is Zoey, Stark, and Damien and they will be cleaning the first floor, group three is Eric and the twins, and they will be cleaning the second floor, and group four is Diuris ,Aphrodite and Venus and they will be shopping for class room furniture, before I forget you should get about seven hundred and fifty class room desks and chairs, thirty for twenty-five class rooms and then get office desks and chairs for all eight of us and the class room stuff has to be cheap but the office stuff and the gym equipment can be expensive if you want. Before you even ask Damien, yes we do have textbooks for all of our classes, Duantia from the high Council sent them." "Stevie Rae how come Erin and I can't go with group four?" "Shaunee, Erin I know that you're rich, and you would rather go shopping but we need your affinities here and Darius is only going so that he can protect Aphrodite and Venus and make sure that they get everything for the class rooms and the gym before the sun comes up, oh Darius you can select all the gym equipment because that is your class." "Oh ok, then I understand" "ditto over here twin." "Call me when you get everything."

Five long hours later everyone was finished cleaning and the depot was nicely furnished. After we had eaten dinner I decided that I had to talk to Aphrodite about the food problem. "Hey, Darius, can I please borrow Aphrodite for a little while?" "Yes, Zoey, you don't have to ask" "Thanks Darius, come on Aphrodite." "Um Aphrodite I've been thinking about the food and blood and how we are going to get good cooked meals and the blood when half of us don't even know how to cook." "Well I was just talking to Darius about both of those problems and he mentioned that most house of night cooks are humans and that there are quite a few that would gladly accept a job, and as for the blood I say you, me and bumpkin go to the hospital with Stark and Darius and tell them that we need them to supply us with a couple thousand bags per year." "So do you think we should go know because the hospital is open all night, what do you think, and do you think that we should cover up our marks?" "No because if you do they won't believe you and your tattoos say that you're an adult vampyer anyway." "Ok, then go tell Darius, and I'll go get Stevie Rae and Stark, meet back in the kitchen in five minutes.

Ten minutes later we were on our way to the hospital. When we got there we asked to see the head of the blood donations. The nurse showed us the right office and then left, Aphrodite worked up the courage to knock on the door and we got told to come in by a female voice. When we walked in the first thing I saw was how big the office was. Aphrodite nudged me so I started speaking. "Hello, my name is Zoey Redbird and these are my friends, we are here to ask if you would be able to supply our new house of night along with the house of night that you already supply with one thousand bags of blood per year for now." "Um, ok is there anything else that you would like me to do for you?" "No thanks, Stevie Rae do your thing, Wind, Water, Fire, and Spirit please help her plant false memories in all the people that saw us and don't let Neferet know we were here." "Thanks Z, Wind, Fire, Water, Spirit and Earth thank you, you may leave." "Ok, Darius let's get out of here" "yep lets blow this joint. "Aphrodite said. "Hey Darius do you think we could make a quick stop at Starbucks so we can pick up some coffee and hot chocolate?" "Yes priestess but we must be quick, Stevie Rae how much longer until the suns up?" "The sun will be up in about half an hour so Zoey and Aphrodite please be quick." Fifteen minutes later we were all back at home and in bed with our significant other.

The next morning I woke up crying, which in turn woke Stark up. "Hey what's wrong?" "I'm o-o-okay its j-j-just t-that I miss Heath and my Mum so much." "Shh its ok babe, its ok, hey, look at me, your mum and Heath loved you a lot and they are in Nyx's grove waiting for us, I promises." "Thanks Stark, you always know how to make me happy again." "It's ok, plus its part of my job description." "Stark you are the best boyfriend and guardian" "well thanks, hey I don't really want to get out of bed, but we both have to get our "knick knacks" for class." "True, wait here I'm just going to get our laptop and I'll be right back." "It's ok, take your time plus I'll probably get some more shut eye while I wait for you." When I got back to the room with the laptop stark was fast asleep under the covers. I let Stark sleep while I turned on the laptop and started buying pens, notebooks, and other knick knacks as stark and Aphrodite like to call them. When I was finished with that I decided to get up and go see what the others were doing. When I got to the main lounge room I saw one of my friends and new red fledgling students Shaylin Ruede, who is fifteen. Shaylin is petite girl with lots of thick dark brown hair and dark eyes. She has an agile and inquisitive mind, which helps her better understand her gift of true sight and very good acting skills. True sight means she can see the colours that we have inside our bodies, Neferet's colours look like "dead fish eyes" according to shaylin. "Oh, hey Zoey, how are you?" "Good thanks Shaylin, what about you?" "Oh I'm good, I've been hanging out with Ant and I think I might have a crush on him." "Oh well I'll give you some advice that might help, don't keep secrets from your friends, and if he starts to pressure you into stuff you don't want to do come and find me AND Stevie Rae or if you can't find me go to stark, he'll know where I am all the time, ok." "Yep, thanks Zoey you really are a cool big sister, opps I mean friend." "Hey, it's ok I think of you as a little sister so if you want to hang out or talk about boys or Ant then you can come to me any time." "Thanks Zoey, um is it alright if I hang out with you for a while?" "Of course it's alright, I think today is just going to be a girl's day because Stark is going to be taking Damien shopping and trying to get him to talk about Jacks death." "Oh…" "It's ok but we have to think of something to do for jack and Damien's monthly anniversary, because I'm making that a tradition for Damien." "I think that is a great idea I think Damien will like our surprise very much." "Ok thanks Shaylin, could you go and find Darius and Aphrodite, I'll go and get the twins, Eric and Venius and meet me in my room in half an hour."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three Girls day

Half an hour later Shaylin, Eric, Aphrodite, Darius, Venius and the twins were in my room waiting for me to start speaking. "Ok, I asked you all to come to my room to meet me because I want to talk about jack and Damien." "Hang on what about Stevie Rae and Rephram, wont they want to know about this as well?" "Venius I understand were your coming from and to answer your question Stevie Rae and Rephram know about this idea of mine because they were with me when I thought of it." "Ok, sorry Zoey." "It's ok, you all remember when jack was alive Damien and jack had a monthly anniversary, well I wanted to know if you wanted to have a monthly remembrance anniversary for Damien and I was thinking of making it a public holiday for this house of night, what do you think? " "Well we both think it's a good idea, but Erin and I were wondering if we could give Damien presents that represent jack." "I like your idea Shaunee, Darius what do you think?" "Well I think it is a very kind and thoughtful gesture, I think every month on their anniversary we should go to places and have dinner there, sort of like a picnic, what do you think priestess?" "Aphrodite, Shaylin, Venius what do you think?" "I think we all like the idea." Venius said. "Ok then, Stark could you take Damien out today and try and get him to talk to you about Jack." "Yeah sure babe, hey Eric you want to come with us?" "Yeah ok, see you guys later." "Hey Stevie Rae do you remember when Jack and Damien got together, the date I mean?" "Yes I do it was on Monday the 2oth of February." "Well we have three days to get ready for our first anniversary then don't we" the twins said. "Ok then it's almost lunch so you can do whatever you want, just don't leave the depot ok?" "Yep we understand."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four Death anniversary the public holiday

Monday the 20th finally came around. On the morning of the twentieth I asked everyone to leave Damien alone until we get set up. "Ok, we need to get into groups." Stevie Rae said then she looked at me. "Ok, group one is the boys, group two is Stevie Rae, Aphrodite, Darius, Venius and Kreshima. Group three is shaylin, myself, stark and the twins. Group four is the rest of you. Group 1 will go to the Tornado restaurant and make an RSVP booking for a room for 15 people at 4 o'clock. Group two will go to the museum gazebo and put fairy lights up and put picnic mats down so that we can relax after going to the restaurant. Group three will just hang out in the tunnels and clean them and group four will start designing our uniform year signs. I want them to look like the original but have a different back round, ok?" "Yes boss" group four said, "Oh and before you print it I want you to show me and my circle, ok" "yep"

At around 3:00 I got a text from Stark asking what I wanted them to do come back here or go straight to the Tornado. I sent a text to everyone form group one –two and three plus stark and told everyone to come back to the tunnels and change into formal going out clothes and then meet up with everyone in the kitchen. Once in the kitchen I put a blindfold on Damien without answering any of his questions and put him in the front passenger seat of our soccer mum van/bus, after the rest of us got into the car, Darius started driving to the Tornado, when we got out Stevie Rae and I joined hands with Damien and started walking, when we could clearly see the sign saying The Tornado Restraunt, Stevie Rae and I let go of Damien's hands and I asked him to remove the blindfold. "Where are we…, oh my god it-it-it's the To-Tor- Tornado. What are we doing here?" "Damien, I will tell you when we go inside ok?" I asked him. "Yes, ok, fine." Once we got inside into our privet room, we all sat down and ordered some drinks, after a bit I started talking to Damien. "Damien the reason we are hear is because from now on the 20th of every month is a public holiday in remembrance of Jack. From now on every month on the 20th this group of people will take you out to one of yours and Jacks favourite places and have dinner there. I hope you don't mind but we all thought it was important." "I don't know what to say, thank you, if Jack was here I think he would be laughing at me, know it all Damien speechless." "It's alright Damien, just remember we are all hear for you, even Aphrodite and Rephram even though they don't show it." "Ok I believe you Zoey, don't worry, and thank you everyone for what you did." Aphrodite was the spokesperson for our group saying what we were all thinking. "Umm… are we going to eat here or are we going to eat there?" "What do you want to do Damien?" "Can we please eat here and then go to where ever we are going next?" About an hour later we had finished eating and were on our way to the gazebo. The boys from group one was there in a wide circle guarding us, they were using a technic that Stark and Darius thought them, called the Bystander attack.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five The phone call

The next day I was lounging around with Stark, Stevie Rae, Damien and Rephram when Aphrodite came barging into the lounge room asking me if she could talk to me and Stark. Stark and I followed Aphrodite into her bedroom were Darius was. "Ok so we all know that I put an advertisement in the paper for 50 chefs , well that's where our luck comes in, I got 50 phone calls all right after the other, I saved all their numbers and names into my phone and I told them to give me an hour to deicide, what do we do?" "ok, well that's great news, and I just had an idea, text them all and ask them to meet us at the Glory's Hotel in 30 minutes, I'll book a conference room, hang on, ok there we go room 58 on the ground floor is the room we will be in, tell them all to meet us there ok?" "Yep, ok, I'll get ready to leave but you should probably put Stevie Rae, Bird Boy or the Dorkamease twins in charge while we are gone." "Yeah, I probably should, meet me in the depot in five minutes ok?" "Yes Zoey, Darius and I will be there." Five minutes later after putting the rest of my circle in charge we left. Twenty minutes later we were at the hotel and on our way to the conference room, another six minutes later all 50 chefs entered the room and looked around looking for somebody that looked like they were in charge, when they spotted Darius they took a seat and were waiting for him to speak and were shocked when they heard me, start speaking. "Hi everyone, how are you all? You must be surprised that a teenager like me is in charge. I called you all here today because my school has an offer for all of you. We would like you to cook for us, 30 of you cooking for myself and my staff and 20 of you cooking for the students. Before you say anything we all have something to show you." As Zoey said that Stark, Darius and Zoey herself started rubbing their foreheads, when they removed their hands all 50 chefs saw red and blue tattoos.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six Preparing for the start of school

On Friday I called a staff meeting in the staff room. "Ok now that everyone is here, we can begin. How are everyone's lessons plans coming along?" "Our lesson plans are coming along fine, I'm taking the beginners to help build their stamina and Darius is taking the intermediate people and then at the end of every lesson we will join up and play a game." "That sounds good, what about you Krashima?" "I'm alright, I did have a bit of trouble at first but Eric helped me so I'm good." "Eric what about you?" "My plans are going well, Aphrodite has agreed to take over permanent relief classes whenever my tracking duty comes up and teach her own Economics class that represents Jack as well." "Well that's good but are you ok with this Aphrodite?" "Yes I think it will be good for me." "Well that's good to hear, Shaunee, Erin what about you what are you going to do? Are you going to finish school or you can just help out with homework and help Rephram?" "I think I will help Rephram with his class work if all of you could give me a spare class plan for that week I will be able to help him." Shaunee said. "I think I will keep designing the new uniforms, if that is alright with you Zoey." "That's alright but then you have to take blood lust and imprinting, deal?" "Ok deal." "What about you Stevie Rae?" "My class plans are going ok, but I need to talk to you after this about classes." "Ok, let's go to lunch then Stevie Rae wait a minute please." After the room was empty of the others Stevie Rae started speaking. "Zoey I wanted to ask you if when you were bonded to heath if you felt the need to drink his blood during sex." "No but when I first tasted Heath's blood I felt really turned on, I think Neferet did drink people's blood during sex though." "Ok, and are you going to put that in your class lessons or not?" "Yes I am Stark knows and I think you should talk to Rephram about it." "Ok, thanks, let's go eat with the others." After lunch all of us went and made sure our lesson plans were finished.

The weekend passed quickly, on Monday morning my staff met with me in the kitchen and we all went up to our class rooms in a group. About 10minutes after we had all gotten settled the first bell sounded and everyone walked in. "good morning everyone, please take a seat and please call me Zoey, just not miss redbird." Half an hour later the second bell went, signalling the next class. The days went a lot like the first; soon it was time for the Easter holidays. On Friday the 30th in my blood lust class I got a call from Sgiach and her warrior Seoras, asking if they could come and visit. After school had finished I called Sgiach back. "Hi Zoey" "hi Sgiach how are you?" "I'm good, I've finally decided to leave my world for a bit and visit you if that is alright." "It's quite alright, but if you leave your island won't the old magic die or something?" "Thank you and no it won't die, and if they disappear I can always bring them back." "Oh, ok, how will you get here, we will pick you up from the airport." 'Well I was planning on flying on my privet jet and thank you; I will arrive on Sunday at around 3:00pm." "Yes, ok well I must go I have to call a staff meeting so I will let you go, see you soon." After we hung up I used wind to get my staff into the staff room for a meeting. "Ok, well I just got off the phone with Sgiach and Seoras and they were asking if they could come for a visit. I said yes of course, but I'm trying to think of a place they could stay, any ideas?" "Zoey I think I have one" stark said. "Well you know the other tunnels we have we could turn them into a bed room or we could use the spare classroom and turn that into a bedroom, it would only take a couple of minutes at the most." "I think it's a good idea arrow boy but if we want more room down in the tunnels then we have to start today." "Thanks Aphrodite and Stark for your ideas and I agree with you both, so let's get started, Aphrodite take the twins with you and go get about 10 double beds please, and the rest of us can clean up." Half an hour later we had 10 tunnels cleaned and furnished. "Ok thanks everyone, let's go eat dinner." Dinner was the usual affair, after dinner we all went to our offices and planed our next lesson plans and marked our students class work. "Nock, Nock, can I come in?" I looked up and saw Aphrodite walking into my office. "Sure, what do you want?" "Well I need to talk to you, I was thinking about Sgiach and Seoras teach some defence moves to all of us, I mean you, and the rest of us teachers, I also think that as well as having them help out stark and Darius in class they could also teach the humans some self-defence as well in case of an attack from Neferet" "yes I see your point, I will talk to everybody tomorrow and then I will talk to Jordan tomorrow, we had better go down stars" "Yeah ok, I'm going to go have a shower, I'll see you later" "Yep, night."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven The surprise visit

On Sunday Stark, Aphrodite, Darius and I went to the airport in our new SVU that Darius bought only last week. We got to the airport at 2:50pm with 10minutes to wait for Sgiach and Seoras to land. At exactly 3:00pm Sgiach landed her plain and got off, Seoras was carrying two bags, his and hers. "Hi Sgiach, how was the flight?" "Oh it was alright Zoey, thank you for picking us up" "oh, it was fine, shall we go?" "Yes ok" "please follow us." When we got back to the Depot we showed Sgiach and Seoras around the depot and the tunnels, and we showed them to their own tunnel and told them that we would meet them in the lounge room in twenty minutes. Once everyone was gathered in the lounge room we told Sgiach and Seoras about what had happened with Neferet, and how we ended up in the tunnels as our home and the depot above us as our school. "Wow, Zoey, I'm sorry I didn't call and ask if you were alright sooner, I only just found out that you had moved away and that you were starting your own school, if you need any help please don't be scared to ask us." "It's ok Sgiach, you didn't know and it's not your fault and we might take you up on that offer of helping us." "Ok, I understand and by the tone of your voice you have an idea." "Yes I do, Aphrodite had an idea, that maybe you and Seoras could help train us and our human cooks how to defend ourselves against Neferet." "It would be our pleasure don't you agree Seoras?" "Yes I do Sgiach." "Okay well if you are ready Zoey we could start today." "Ok, yes I'm ready, Aphrodite could you please go and get all the cooks and bring them to the gym please, thanks." "Yes I can do that, I will meet you there in ten minutes."

Half an hour later we were all in our rooms relaxing from the long defence training that Sgiach and Seoras just put us through. "Hey Stark?" "Yes Zoey?" "Can you please go and get us some dinner, I don't feel like eating with everyone else." "Ok, I'll also tell Stevie Rae that we will see everybody else tomorrow at breakfast." Ten minutes later Stark was back carrying two plates piled high with yummy smelling food, it was chicken pasta. After dinner Stark and Zoey sat around and talked until we fell asleep. The next morning, Monday at 6:00 Zoey and stark were up and in the kitchen with the others, getting breakfast. "So Zoey where do you want us today?" Sgiach asked. "Well I was thinking that Stevie Rae and I could combine our Blood lust & imprinting classes together and we could have you and Seoras guest speaking, and then in the afternoon You and Seoras could help out in Stark and Darius's class, does that work for everyone?" "That is fine with myself and Seoras, we would love to see how your school works differently from the other House of Nights." "Yes Zoey that is fine, Stark and I might steal your idea and combine our classes together instead of splitting up today." "Ok, well I will see everyone at lunch, or if you need me I should be in my office." Classes went like they normally did, with a little change of lesson plans, the Red and Blue Blood lust & imprinting students got along well enough, and they really enjoyed the speech that Sgiach gave about bonding by drinking blood and she also gave a new perspective on drinking blood during sex. Stark and Darius's class was much the same as the Blood lust & imprinting, without any incidents between the Red and Blue students and by the sounds that were coming from the gym, all the students were really enjoying the games and exercises and training that Sgiach and Seoras, along with Stark and Darius were putting them through. The rest of the week went much like Monday, and by the time Sunday rolled around everybody was sore and tired but they were also sad to see Sgiach and Seoras leave. Stark, Aphrodite, Darius and I drove Sgiach and Seoras to the airport and watched as they boarded their privet jet and set flight. After their plain was out of sight we got back into the car and went back home. Once I was in the staff room I used the loud speaker to call an immediate staff meeting. Once everyone was there I began, "Thanks everyone for coming, I know it was short notice but I had something important that I thought we should discuss. I was thinking about Nyx and her temple and how we don't have one, what do you think we should do?" "Hey Zoey?" "Yes Aphrodite?" "Well I was just thinking about this and I thought maybe we could turn one of the tunnels and one of the empty class rooms into a temple for Nyx and we could ask Sister Mary Angela for some little statues of marry because she is the Catholic version of Nyx reincarnate." "I think that is a good idea but I think we should just choose one place for the temple, either the tunnels or one of the unused classrooms." "Prissiest, I think we should use one of the big tunnels as a temple as it would be easier for everyone as after class we all come down here and it wouldn't take as long to clean." "Darius how many times do I have to tell you call me Zoey, and yes I agree with you, yes Stevie Rae?" "Well I had a thought and you know how we had Elizabeth No Last Name decorating the tunnels well I thought maybe we could get her to decorate the temple and go with Stark or Darius and buy things for the temple." "I like your idea Bumpkin, but I'm going with Elizabeth No Last Name to buy stuff for the temple." "Okay Aphrodite that's fine with me and good thinking Stevie Rae." "Now does anybody have anything else that we need to discuss?" "Yes, I do" Aphrodite said. "Jordan spoke to me and mentioned that the cooks need to go food shopping so I was thinking that they could come with Elizabeth No Last Name and myself and Darius and Stark and we could do all the shopping then" "yes that's fine , I'll right up a list of things that we might want, I will speak to Elizabeth No Last Name after lunch about going shopping and getting her help, Aphrodite can you please come with me to speak to her and then we can both go and speak to Jordan about when we can go shopping. Stevie Rae I didn't ask you because you to come with us because you need to catch up with Rephram and you need to help Shaunee understand the homework that Rephram has to do, I hope you all understand." "Yes we do its ok, now let's go to lunch, I'm starving."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight the truth comes out

After lunch we all just hung out and played on the gaming systems that Aphrodite bought us in secret, we played Mario Cart and Sonic at the Olympics until dinner and then we just talked.

That night Zoey had a nightmare about Loren Blake, the guy she lost her virginity to, she woke up crying and that also woke Stark up. "Zoey, are you alright? What's wrong?" "No …Have I ever told you the story of how I lost my virginity?" "No, but from the sound of your voice it's not a happy story." "Yes your right it's not a happy story, I was with Eric as you know, and then I met one of the teachers at the house of night where I first met you, his name was Loren Blake, he was a part time professor that taught poetry, we met in the media centre, I was looking for ideas for the Dark Daughters and Sons because I had just become the new leader. A week or so after I met him I was outside, taking a walk, and I ran into Loren, I was wearing a singlet, and he asked to see the new additions to my tattoos, I let him touch me, his touch was soft and it felt nice, I was with Eric the next time we ran into each other, and I mean that we were walking together but he was also my boyfriend, he got defence of me, a month or so after that Eric and I had a fight after the Full Moon Ritual, we were talking in the rec hall and then he convinced me to have sex with him even though I had just had a fight with Eric, I thought I loved him and him me, but later on when I went looking for him I heard him and Nefert talking together about me and when I looked through the crack in the door I saw them having sex. Loren Blake was brought into the school to trick me and share my secrets with him but he was really Neferet's lover and he was also her puppet and he ended up killed by her." "Wow, I'm sorry about what Neferet did to you." "You don't hate me for not telling you sooner?" "no, I know that you will tell me everything in your own time, I was a bit annoyed when you said you were with Eric because it brought back memories of our time and how you were with him and me and Heath, but I'm glad you did tell me." "Thanks for being understanding Stark, I love you my Warrior." "I love you to Zoey, my Priestess, now let's go back to sleep, it's one in the morning." "Ok I love you, night." "Love you to, night."

Once Monday morning rolled around everyone was ready for the new week to begin. When Zoey got to the kitchen she said good morning to everyone, "Rephram and Stevie Rae and Shaunee could I please talk to you up in my office before classes start?" "That's fine with me Zoey" Rephram said and Stevie Rae and Shaunee agreed in their own way. Half an hour up in my office we all took seats, "I've asked you here this morning to talk about your education Rephram, I know that Stevie Rae and Shaunee help you with the homework and we all give you a little less work than the others but we want your opinion on if you want more work or not." "well Stevie Rae and Shaunee have been really great at helping me catch up to everybody else's level from a first year's level, I think I would like to take the same test as everybody else in all my classes and try and see if I can pass, if I don't get almost the same average as everyone else then I would like some more help in and out of class." "We are glad to hear that you wish to take the same test as everybody else." Stevie Rae said and then she looked at Shaunee. "I'm proud to say that I'm impressed with your progress in and out of class, but if you want to be able to achieve the same results as everyone else, then we are going to have to put a whole lot more time and effort in to your studies ok Rephram?" "As long as Stevie Rae is fine with that arrangement then I'm fine with it as well." "Thanks babe, and I'm happy with the arrangement but I think that we need to give Shaunee some time to do here own thing as well so I was thinking that maybe twice a week Shaunee could tutor Rephram and then for the rest of the week one of us teachers could tutor Rephram on different days, that way we can all help him more and Shaunee also gets a break from tutoring him." "That's fine with me, what about you Shaunee and Rephram, are you ok with this arrangement?" "I'm fine with that, like Stevie Rae said I would get to do something else or just relax, maybe spend some time with Erin, are you ok with that Rephram?" "Yes that is fine, thank you guys for helping me with this, and thanks for letting me choose my own pace at which to study." "It is not a problem, and we all love you and if we didn't love and care for you Stevie Rae would have had our necks for lunch." Zoey said. "Oi, I wouldn't have had your necks for lunch I would have just left you all for Neferet to deal with." "Ok you to, enough joking about Neferet, it's starting to scare me, oh look at the time we have five minutes before the first bell rings we should all go, Rephram we have Blood lust & Imprinting first."

After dinner that night when I was walking back to my room to grab something I found Shaunee crying and I mean snot crying. I asked her what was wrong but she said she would tell me the next day. Thursday, I had cancelled classes because I needed a break from teaching so I could finished marking all my class work. After I had finished marking students work I was sitting in my office thinking about the past couple of days. I just started to think about the fight Shaunee and Erin had, from what Shaunee told me on Tuesday it was about themselves or more spisificly Shaunee. Erin ended the fight by telling Shaunee to get her own room because she didn't want to be a "twin" anymore. It took me, Stevie Rae, Damien, Aphrodite (yes I'm still shocked) to convince Shaunee to stay at the depot. I suddenly had an idea that would affect us all so I called my circle, my Prophetess(Aphrodite) and my Poet Laureate(Kramisha) to my class room as the meeting about to take place had nothing to do with classes. "ok guys, thanks for meeting me here, I had an idea." "Why aren't out warriors here? They are teachers as well" Stevie Rae asked. "Thanks Stevie Rae for asking that, my answer to your question is that my idea is about all of us." "come on Zoey, please tell us." Damien begged. "ok my idea was that we close the school down because we aren't teaching anything new at the moment and we never really finished our own classes at the house of night, and as Thanatos is now working there, she has said that is fine if we wish to come back and continue our studies, also I have a gut feeling that we need to go back and do some damage control, remember what Nyx told us after the reveal spell, I quote "Hold to the memory of the healing that happened here this night. You will need that strength and peace for the upcoming fight." "I think if we go back we find out what Nefret is up to and stop it all the while trying to learn, also Thanatos has said we are welcome to come back by bus but we must have our school name painted on the bus, so I'm also thinking that we need to get our own bus/van for free time our when we want to go out and we put our school name on the bus we have and that becomes only the school bus." "I think that is fine, and I agree with everything you just said, we need to go back to the house of night and do damage control, we need to catch up on shit and we need to buy a new car, by the way I'm taking Shaunee, Damien and obviously Darius with me today to go buy us a new car." "ok Aphrodite, just make sure it's a bus/van so that it fits all of us, I have my car as well but if we are going to go shopping or do our own thing we need a second car, oh, you have a car at your parents' house don't you?" "yes I have my car there, and so many more that we would be able to each have our own car and my parents wouldn't notice that they had gone missing." Ok, take everybody that is old enough to drive their own car and go steal some from your parents, but I also what an SVU instead of a bus please." Got it, ok guys please come with me" "Erin please stay, you have your own car, you don't need another, please go clean your tunnel as it looks like a tsunami swept through it." "Ok, fine." After everybody had left with Aphrodite I called Thanatos and Lenobia to let them know we would be there on Monday.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine back to the house of night

Lenobia pov

Lenobia's sleep was so restless that the familiar dream took on a sense of reality that overstepped the ethereal realm of subconscious outlets and fantasies and became, from the beginning, all too heart-breakingly real.

It began with a memory. Decades and then centuries fell away leaving Lenobia young and Naïve again, and in the cargo hold of the ship that had carried her from France to America- from one world to another. It was during that journey that Lenobia had met Martin, the man who should have been her Mate for his entire life. Instead he had died too young and had taken her love to the grave with him. In her dream Lenobia could feel the gentle roll of the ship and smell the scent of horse and hay, sea and fish-and Martin. Always Martin. He was standing before her, gazing down at her through eyes that were olive and amber and worried. She had just told him she loved him.

"It is impossible." The dream memory replayed in her mind as Martin reached out, took her hand, and lifted it gently. He raised his own arm until the two were side by side. "You see the difference, you?" The dreaming Lenobia made a small, wordless exclamation of pain. The sound of his voice! That distinct Creole accent-deep, sensual, unique. It was the bittersweet sound of his voice and its beautiful accent that had kept Lenobia away from New Orleans for more than two hundred years.

"No," the young Lenobia had answered his question as she gazed down at their arms- one brown, one white- where they pressed together. "All I see is you." Still deeply asleep, Lenobia, Horse Mistress of the Tulsa House of Night, moved restlessly, as if her body was attempting to force her mind to awaken. But this night her mind did not obey. This night dreams and what might have been ruled. Still deeply asleep, Lenobia, Horse Mistress of the Tulsa House of Night, moved restlessly, as if her body was attempting to force her mind to awaken. But this night her mind did not obey. This night dreams and what might have been ruled. The sequence of memories shifted and changed to another scene, still in the cargo hold of the same ship, still with martin, but days later. He was handing her a long string of leather tied to a small pouch dyed a deep sapphire blue. Martin put it around her neck saying, "This gris-gris protect you, Cherie."

In the space of a heartbeat the memory wavered and time fast forwarded a century. An older, wiser, more cynical Lenobia was cradling the crumbling leather pouch in her hands as it split and spilled its contents- thirteen things, just as Martin had told her-but most of them had become unrecognizable during the century she'd worn the charm. Lenobia remembered a faint scent of juniper, the smooth feel of the clay pebble before it turned to dust, and the tiny dove's feather that had crumbled between her fingers. But most of all Lenobia remembered the fleeting rush of joy she'd felt when, in the midst of the disintegrating remnants of Martin's love and protection, she'd discovered something that time hadn't been able to ravage. It had been a ring-a heart-shaped emerald, surrounded by tiny diamonds, set in gold.

"Your mother's heart- your heart-my heart," Lenobia had whispered as she'd slipped it over the knuckle of her ring finger, "i still miss you, Martin. I've never forgotten. I vowed it."

And then the dream memories rewound again, taking Lenobia back to Martin, only this time they weren't at sea finding one another in cargo hold and falling in love. This memory was dark and terrible. Even dreaming, Lenobia knew the place and the date: New Orleans, March 21, 1788, not long after sunset. The stables had exploded in fire and Martin had saved her, carrying her from the flames.

"Oh, no! Martin! No!" Lenobia had screamed at him then, now she whimpered, struggling to awaken before she had to relive the horrible end of the memory. She didn't wake. Instead she heard her only love repeat the words that had broken her heart two hundred years before, feeling it again as if the wound were raw and fresh. "Too late, Cherie. This world too late for us. I see you, though. My love for you don't' end here. My love for you, it never ends...find you again, Cherie. That I vow"

As Martin captured the evil human who had tried to enslave her, and then walked back into the flaming stables with him, saving Lenobia's life, the horse mistress was finally able to wake herself with a wrenching sob. She sat up in bed, and with a trembling hand brushed her sweat-soaked hair from her face.

Lenobia's first waking thought was for her mare. Through the psychic connection they shared, she could feel that Mujaji was agitated, almost panicked. "Shh, my beauty. Go back to sleep. i am well." Lenobia spoke aloud, sending soothing feelings to the black mare with whom she had a special bond. Feeling guilty for upsetting Mujaji, she bowed her head and cradled her hand, twisting the emerald ring around and around her finger.

"Stop being so foolish," Lenobia told herself firmly. "It was just a dream. I am safe. I am not back there. What happened then cannot hurt me more than it already has," Lenobia lied to herself. I can be hurt again. If Martin has come back- really come back- My heart can be hurt again. Another sob tried to escape from Lenobia, but she pressed lips together and forced her emotions under control. He might not be Martin, she told herself firmly, logically. Travis Foster, the new human hired by Neferet to assist her in the stables, was simply a handsome distraction-him and his big, beautiful Percheron mare. "Which is probably exactly what Nefret intended when she hired him," Lenobia muttered. "To distract me. And his Percheron is just an odd coincidence." Lenobia closed her eyes and blocked the memories that lifted from her past, and then repeated aloud, "Travis might not be Martin reincarnated. I know my reaction to him is unusually strong, but it has been a long time since I have taken a lover." You have never taken a human lover-you vowed not to, her conscience reminded her. "So it's simply past time I took a vampire lover, even if briefly. And that type of distraction will be good for me." Lenobia tried to busy her imagination with considering and then rejecting a list of handsome son of Erebus Warriors, her mind's eye not seeing their strong, muscular bodies, but instead envisioning whisky brown eyes tinged with familiar olive green and a ready smile…

"No!" She would not think of it. She would not think of him. But what if Travis could really hold Martins soul? Lenobia's errant mind whispered enticingly. He gave me his word he would find me again. Perhaps he has. "And then what?" Lenobia stood and began to pace restlessly. "I know all too well the fragility of humans. They are too easily killed, and today the world is even more dangerous than it was in 1788. My love ended in heartbreak and flame once. Once was too much." Lenobia stopped and put her face in her hands as her heart knew the truth, and pumped it through her body and soul, becoming reality. "I am a coward. If Travis is not Martin I do not want to open myself to him- to take a chance on loving another human. And if he is Martin returned to me, I cannot bear the inevitable, that I will lose him again."

Lenobia sat heavily in the old rocking chair she'd placed beside her bedroom window. She liked to read there, and if she couldn't sleep her window faced east so she could watch the rising of the sun and look out the at the grounds beside the stables. Though Lenobia appreciated the irony, she couldn't help but enjoy the morning light. Vampyre or not, at her core she would eternally be a girl who loved mornings and horses and a tall, cappuccino skinned human who had died long ago when he had been far too young.

Her shoulders slumped. She hadn't thought of Martin so often in decades. His renewed memory was a double -edged sword-on one side she loved recalling his smile, his scent, his touch. On the other his memory also evoked the void his absence had left. For more than two hundred years Lenobia had grieved for a lost possibility- a wasted life. "Our future was burned away from us. Destroyed by flames of hatred and obsession and evil." Lenobia shook her head and wiped her eyes. She must regain control over her emotions. Evil was still burning a swath through light and goodness. She drew in a deep, centering breath and turned her thoughts to a subject that never failed to calm her, no matter how chaotic the world around her had become-horses-Mujaji, in particular. Feeling calmer now, Lenobia reached out again with that extra special part of her spirit that Nyx had touched, and gifted with an affinity for horses, the day sixteen year-old Lenobia had been marked. She found her mare easily and instantly felt guilty at the mirrored agitation she sensed in Mujaji. "Shh," Lenobia soothed again, repeating aloud the reassurance she was sending through her bond with the mare. "I am only being foolish and self-indulgent. It will pass, I give you my vow, sweet one." Lenobia focused a tide of warmth and love on her night coloured mare, and, as always, Mujaji regained her own calm.

Lenobia closed her eyes and released a long breath. She could envision her mare, black and beautiful as the night, finally settling down, cocking a back leg, and falling into a dreamless sleep. The horse mistress concentrated on her mare, shutting out the turmoil that the young cowboy's arrival at her stables had caused within her. Tomorrow, she promised herself sleepily, tomorrow I will make it clear to Travis that we will never be more than employer and employee. The colour of his eyes and the way he makes me feel, all of that will begin to ease when I distance myself from him. It must…it must…

Finally Lenobia slept.

Neferet pov

Even though the feline was not bound to her, Shadowfax came willingly at Neferet's call. Thankfully, classes were over for the night, so when the big Maine coon met her in the middle of the field house it was dimly lit and empty-no students were about; Dragon Lankford himself was also absent , but probably only temporarily. She had seen only a few red fledglings on her way there. Neferet smiled, satisfied at the thought of how she added the rogue reds to the House of Night. What lovely, chaotic possibilities they presented-especially after she ensured Zoey's circle would be broken and her best friend, Stevie Rae, would be devastated, grieving the loss of her lover.

The knowledge that she was assuring future pain and suffering for Zoey pleased Neferet immeasurably, but she was too disciplined to allow herself to begin gloating before the sacrificial spell was complete and her commands were set in motion. Though the school was unusually quiet tonight, almost abandoned, the truth was anyone could happen into the field house. Neferet needed to work quickly and quietly. There would be ample time to revel over the fruits of her labors later.

She spoke softly to the cat, coaxing him closer to her, and when he was near enough she knelt to his level. Neferet had thought he would be leery of her-cats knew things. They were much harder to fool than humans, fledglings, or even vampyres. Neferet's own cat, Skylar, had refused to relocate to her new Mayo penthouse suite, choosing instead to lurk in the shadows of the House of Night and watch her knowingly with his large, green eyes.

Shadowfax wasn't as wary.

Neferet beckoned. Shadowfax came to her, slowly closing the last bit of distance between them. The big cat wasn't friendly-he didn't rub against her and mark her affectionately with his scent-but he came to her. His obedience was all that concerned Neferet. She didn't want his love, she wanted his life.

The Tsi Sgili, immortal consort of Darkness, and former High Priestess of the House of Night, felt only a vague shadow of regret as her left hand caressed the long length of the Maine coon's gray tiger striped back. His fur was soft and thick over his lithe, athletic body. Like Dragon Lankford, the Warrior he'd chosen as his own, Shadowfax was powerful and in the prime of his life. Such a shame he was needed for a greater purpose. A higher purpose.

Neferet's regret did not equate to hesitation. She used her goddess-given affinity for felines and channelled warmth and reassurance through her palm and into the feline. While her left hand caressed him, encouraging him to arch and begin to purr, her right hand snaked out and with her razor-edged athame, she quickly, cleanly, slashed Shadowfax's throat.

The big cat made no sound. His body spasmed, trying to jerk away from her, but her hand fisted in his fur, holding him so close that his blood sprayed, hot and wet, across the bodice of her green velvet dress.

The treads of darkness that were always present around Neferet throbbed and quivered with anticipation.

Nefret ignored them.

The cat died faster than she'd imagined, and for that Nefret was glad. She hadn't expected him to stare at her, but the warrior cat held her gaze even after he had collapsed into the sandy field house floor and could no longer fight her, but lay breathing shallowly, twitching silently and staring.

Working quickly, while the cat was still living, Neferet began the spell. Using the blade of her ritual athame, Neferet drew a circle around Shadowfax's dying body, so that as blood pooled around him it poured into it, and a miniature moat of scarlet was formed. Then she pressed one palm of her hand into the fresh, warm blood, stood just outside the circle, and lifted both her hands-one bloody. One holding the scarlet –edged knife, and intoned:

"With this sacrifice I command

Darkness controlled by my hand.

Aurox, obey me!

Rephaim's death it will be."

Neferet paused, allowing the sticky threads of cold blackness to brush against her and gather all around the circle. She felt their eagerness, their need, their desire, their danger. But above all else, she felt their power. To complete the spell she dipped the athame into the blood, and wrote directly into the sand with it, closing the incantation:

"Through payment of blood, pain and strife

I force the vessel to be my knife!"

Holding an image of Aurox in her mind, Neferet stepped inside the circle and plunged the dagger into Shadowfax's body, pinning him to the field house floor while she loosed the tendrils of Darkness so that they could consume their feast of blood and pain. When the cat was thoroughly drained and absolutely dead, Neferet spoke, "the sacrifice has been made. The spell cast. Do as I command. Force Aurox to kill Rephaim. Make Stevie Rae break the circle. Cause the revel spell to fail. Now!"

Like a nest of seething snakes, the minions of Darkness slithered into the night, heading away from the field house and toward a lavender field and the ritual that was already underway there.

Neferet gazed after them, smiling in satisfaction. One particular thread of Darkness, thick as her forearm, whipped through the door that opened from the field house to the stables. Neferet's attention was pulled its way by the muffled sound of breaking glass.

Curious, the Tsi Sgili glided forward. Being careful to make no noise, and cloaking herself in shadow, Neferet peered into the stables. Her emerald eyes widened in pleased surprise. The thick tread of Darkness had been clumsy. It had knocked one of the gas lanterns from its resting place on a peg that hung not far from the piles of neatly stacked hay Lenobia was always so meticulous about choosing for her creatures. Neferet watched, fascinated, as the first one tuft of hay caught fire, sputtered and then with a renewed surge of yellow, and a mighty Whoosh! It fully caught.

Neferet looked down the long line of closed, wooden stalls. She could see only the faint, dark outlines of a few of the horses. Most were sleeping. Some were lazily grazing, already settled down for the approaching dawn and the rest the sun would bring them until it set and the students arrived for their never ending classes. She glanced at the hay. An entire bale was engulfed in flame. The scent of smoke drifted to her, and she could hear crackling as, like a loosed beast, the fire fed and grew.

Neferet turned away from the stable, closing the thick door between it and the field house securely. It seems likely that Stevie Rae may not be the only one who will be grieving after tonight. The thought satisfied Neferet, and she left the field house and the carnage she'd caused there, not seeing the small white cat who padded to Shadowfax's motionless body, curled beside him, and closed her eyes.

Lenobia Pov

The horse Mistress awakened with a horrid feeling of forboding. Confused, Lenobia rubbed her hands over her face. She'd fallen asleep in the rocking chair near her window and this sudden awakening seemed more nightmare than reality.

"this is foolishness," she muttered sleepily. "I must find my center again." Meditation had helped quiet her thoughts in the past. Resolutely, Lenobia drew a deep, cleansing breath.

It was with that deep breath that Lenobia smelled it- fire. A burning stable to be specific. She clenched her teeth together. Begone, ghosts of the past! I am to old to play these games. Then an ominous crackling sound had Lenobia shaking off the last of the sleep that had clouded her mind as she moved quickly to the window and drew aside the heavy black drapes. The Horse Mistress looked down at her stables and gasped in horror.

It hadn't been a dream.

It hadn't been her imagination.

Instead it was a living nightmare.

Flames were licking the sides of the building and as she stared, the double doors just at the edge of her vision were thrown open from the inside and against a backdrop of billowing smoke and consuming flames was the silhouette of a tall cowboy leading a huge gray Percheron and a night black mare from within. Travis let loose of the mares, shooing them into the school grounds and away from the flaming stables, and then he ran back into the flaming mouth of the building.

Everything within Lenobia came alive as the sight extinguished her fear and doubt.

"No, Goddess. Not again. I am no longer a frightened girl. This time his end will be different!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Lenobia Pov

Lenobia bolted from her chamber, raced down the short stairwell that led from her quarters to the ground floor and the stables. Smoke was seeping snake- like from under the door. She controlled her panic and pressed her palm against the wood. It wasn't warm to the touch, so she yanked open the door, assessing the situation rapidly as she moved into the stables. The fire burned most fiercely at the far end of the building in the area where they hay and feed were stored. It was also the area closest to Majaji's stall as well as the large foaling stall the Percheron, Bonnie, and her Travis had taken up residence in.

"Travis! She shouted, lifting her arm to shield her face from the heat of the growing flames as she raced down into the stables and began opening stalls, freeing the horses closest to her. Out, Persephone-go! Lenobia nudged the roan mare, who was frozen from fright and refusing to leave her stall. When she darted past her and through the exit, Lenobia called again, "Travis! Where are you?"

"Gettin' the horses out that are closest to the fire!" he yelled as a young gray mare bolted from the direction of Travis's voice and almost trampled over Lenobia.

"Easy! Easy, Anjo." Lenobia soothed, steering the terrified horse to the exit.

"East exit is blocked by flames and I-"Travis's voice broke off as the tack room windows exploded and hot glass shards flew through the air.

"Travis! Get out of there and call 911!" Lenobia yelled as she opened the closest stall and freed a gelding, hating that she'd not grabbed her phone and made a call herself before she'd run from her room.


End file.
